Ensuring service continuity of a mobile user is a basic function of a cellular mobile communication system, and handover of a serving cell of a mobile station is a main means of ensuring the service continuity. In order to facilitate User Equipment (UE) to perform the handover, the system needs to configure a neighbouring relationship for each cell, so that neighbouring cell information is sent to the UE in a measurement control message, the UE reports a measurement report, and a network side instructs the UE to perform the handover.
Which neighbouring cells are around a certain cell is not only related to a cell distance, but also closely related to a wireless environment where the cell is. Because the wireless environment is complicated, it is very difficult to determine exactly which neighbouring cells should be configured for a certain cell at the beginning of network planning, especially in a city environment with dense high buildings. Some other situations will cause that the neighbouring cell information is not updated in time, for example, one cell is newly added in the system or an attribute of a cell changes, but the neighbouring relationship of the cell is not updated in time, or there is change of environment or omission of a network planner.
At present, a Radio Network Controller (RNC) transfers the neighbouring cell information through a response message related to a radio link on a premise that there is UE moving to another RNC. If there is missed configuration of a neighbouring cell between two RNCs, the first UE which moves to another RNC may easily fail in handing over to another cell in time, which further causes occurrence of situations, such as an over high load of the current cell, worsened signal quality of the current cell, serious interference or call drop of a user. No effective solution has been presented for the problem that the neighbouring cell information between two RNCs is not updated in time.